Singapore’s water supply will ’never be threatened’: DPM Teo
DPM Teo Chee Hean speaking at the 14th Punggol North Racial and Religious Harmony Street Parade, on July 15, 2018.
Published Jul 15, 2018, 9:14 pm SGT
Jan Lee
SINGAPORE - Singaporeans can rest assured that the nation’s water supply will remain secure, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean emphasised on Sunday (July 15).
Speaking at the 14th Punggol North Racial and Religious Harmony Street Parade, DPM Teo said it is important for Singapore to hold on to values such as self-reliance to build a strong, resilient country.
Raising Singapore’s preparations for its water supply as an example, he said: “Singaporeans will never be short of water, will always have water and will never be threatened by anybody who wants to cut our water supply off.”
He also raised the importance of government programmes such as Medishield Life, CPF Life and the recently announced Careshield Life, as ways to “protect the strength of our country and not pass the burden onto our children”.
DPM Teo, who is also the adviser to Pasir Ris-Punggol grassroots organisations, was joined at the event by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and adviser to Punggol North Ng Chee Meng.
Around 10,000 residents attended the event, which included inter-generational and multi-ethnic dance performances.
There were also heritage exhibitions, cultural booths, free games and snack booths.
Mr Ng also urged residents to remain vigilant and active citizens: “While we celebrate, let us also not just enjoy ourselves, but to take action and be responsible and do our part to build a Singapore that we love.”
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Goh Chok Tong’s cryptic Facebook photo fuels speculation that he may “do a Mahathir”
By Jewel Stolarchuk -
July 17, 2018
A photo Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong posted on his Facebook page last night has fueled speculation that the former head of government may stand against the ruling party in the next election – the same way Malaysian leader Dr Mahathir left his party to unite the opposition across the causeway and topple the government.
ESM Goh, who is presently on holiday in Langkawi, posted the picture above on his social media page around 10pm yesterday. The picture appears to have been taken at the Langkawi 3D Art Museum – one of the largest three-dimensional art museums in the world, that features a painting of Dr Mahathir extending his hand towards patrons.
Dr Mahathir himself posed for a picture with the same painting, when he inaugurated the museum in February 2015:
Although ESM Goh also posted some other photos from his trip to the museum, the photo of him in the Mahathir exhibit was notable – it even appeared as a separate post, apart from the post featuring the other pictures, on his Facebook page.
Some Singaporeans reacting to the picture felt that the pose and the fact that ESM posted the photo on social media was cryptic while the picture has also renewed existing speculation that ESM Goh may follow in the footsteps of the Malaysian PM, alongside his old friend and fellow ex-PAP politician Dr Tan Cheng Bock:
In May this year, rumours that ESM Goh may “do a Mahathir” with Dr Tan began spreading like wildfire after ESM Goh posted a photo on his Facebook page with Dr Tan and made a reference to Dr Mahathir.
Sharing a picture with Dr Tan from his 77th birthday bash, ESM Goh alluded to Mahathir’s stunning election victory and said: “Age is just a number, as Mahathir has proven. But it is family and friends who make that number light, meaningful and memorable. Thanks, all my friends out there.”
continue reading here :
http://theindependent.sg/goh-chok-to...do-a-mahathir/
Do you think this will happen ? I doubt so .
Despite repeated claims of engagement with citizens, actions of PAP leadership show that they do not care for the well-being of people
Published on 2018-07-17 by Kwok Fangjie
It was reported on Sunday (15 Jun) that Cabinet Ministers will increase their visits to the heartlands to hear people’s views on various issues. This initiative built on Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat’s vision in May, where he said that the Government will be starting a series of discussions to engage different segments of society.
Marking a departure from a previous practice where Ministers visited constituencies alone, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said that there were now increased opportunities for residents to speak to the Ministers directly on multiple issues.
For example, residents with school-going children had approached him to discuss their views while those looking for work had talked to cabinet colleague Josephine Teo. 4G Minister Lawrence Wong also had the opportunity to interact with those who were facing issues with the Housing Board.
The 4G leader added that “speaking to residents randomly in a coffeeshop" was “a meaningful way of having a discussion series” and the participating Ministers would exchange notes after the visit to get a more holistic understanding of the issues people face.
However, not all were impressed.
On the Straits Times Facebook page, one Cassidy Andrew Goh drew a comparison to the late President Ong Teng Cheong while he was the Deputy Prime Minister. The netizen noted that Ong “would always walk around in his shirt sleeves [and] would not be accompanied by a whole jing gang of acolytes, aides, minders, grassroots leaders, and other hanger ons”.
Goh also felt that the 4G Ministers should “leave all the baggage of officialdom behind [and] insist that [their] aides do not go ahead and ‘facilitate’ [the interaction for them]”. He advised the Ministers to “stop strewing rose petals on the path before you so that [they can] actually see and feel what [ordinary people] feel”.
PAP promised to listen with “humility and passion” – but have they?
If this sounds familiar, it is not the first time that a senior member of the ruling party, People’s Action Party has claimed that they would listen to the people.
continue reading here :
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/201...ing-of-people/
Are you currently happy with the current PAP government running the show ? Do you feel that your lives had improved under the current PAP government ?
Where else do generals get to be feted as top dogs who can do no wrong?
Published on 2018-07-17 by The Online Citizen
by Augustine Low
On August 1, former general Neo Kian Hong succeeds former general Desmond Kuek as CEO of SMRT.
There was purportedly a “comprehensive global search” by SMRT, ending in the appointment of someone in our own backyard.
What a waste of time and resources. They needn’t have bothered.
The prevailing notion in Singapore is that generals are top dogs who can do no wrong. And if a general should somehow be not up to the mark, just bring in another general to get the job done.
Just what is it about the training and the experience generals undergo that gives the government such unfailing trust in them to excel outside the SAF? What baptism of fire have they been put through which prepares them to be top dogs?
It’s no secret that the SAF is a prodigious breeding ground for high fliers and PAP politicians. Dozens of high-ranking officers, many of them generals, emerge with regularity to contest elections, take on ministerial posts and infiltrate the government, civil service and government-linked corporations.
In the current cabinet we have former generals or admirals in PM Lee Hsien Loong, DPM Teo Chee Hean, Chan Chun Sing and Ng Chee Meng. Fairly recently, Tan Chuan-Jin was moved down to Speaker of Parliament from Minister. Prior to the last General Election, Lui Tuck Yew stepped down as Transport Minister. He is now Singapore’s Ambassador to Japan.
The top echelon is littered with former SAF Scholars – including PM Lee, DPM Teo, Chan Chun Sing, Ng Chee Meng, Tan Chuan-Jin, Melvyn Ong (Chief of Defence Force), Ng Chee Kern (Permanent Secretary) and Ng Chee Peng (CEO of CPF Board).
On paper, the SAF Scholarship is second in prestige to the President’s Scholarship but safe to say, it is now the passport to elitism and a quickfire route to being top dog.
continue reading here :
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/201...n-do-no-wrong/
Do you think our paper generals know how to run a business organisation ? Do you think our paper generals should be involved in politics even though they have no grass roots experience ?
16-year-old boy assisting with police investigation of youth tossing oBike, ofo bikes into river
18 Jul 2018 03:04PM (Updated: 18 Jul 2018 03:10PM)
SINGAPORE: Police confirmed on Wednesday (Jul 18) that a 16-year-old boy was assisting them with investigations after video clips of a young man throwing oBike and ofo bicycles into a river went viral online.
The youth, who was wearing an orange T-shirt and black shorts while smoking a cigarette, was first seen throwing an ofo bicycle from a bridge into the river in an Instagram story clip.
A second video shows what appears to be the same youth, this time in a white T-shirt, tossing an oBike off the bridge.
A Singapore Police Force spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia that a report of the incident was lodged and investigations are ongoing.
The videos have been widely shared on social media, including on the Sure Boh Singapore Facebook page and Thelocalsociety.
Read more at
Singapore government to call early elections in 2019 to avoid GST burden
July 17, 2018
According to a senior party member close to the Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong is likely to call elections as soon as 2019 as he is worried that the GST increase in 2021 would affect the ruling party’s support.
The tip-off corresponds with an increase in political activities from the ruling party, including the first walkabout in 4 years for three PAP Ministers. At a walkabout at Jurong Central last Sunday (July 15), Minister Ong Ye Kung said that this will be the “new format” onward. The PAP Minister also repeated an old broken promise to listen to the people and repeat its “public consultation”:
“
“The new format is part of the bigger efforts to better understand issues that Singaporeans face. When Parliament reopened in May after its mid-term break, that the Government will be starting a series of discussions to engage different segments of society, and give all Singaporeans a role to turn good ideas into actions. The discussion series can be formal like a dialogue, it can also be informal involving more ministers walking the ground, speaking to residents randomly in a coffeeshop.”
Aside from increasing PAP MPs and Ministers’ presence in neighbourhoods, the ruling party has started sending civil servants for election procedures training this month. According to state media Straits Times, the election could be called by the next 11 months after the training as were the case for the 2015 GE.
Also announced for 2019 is the celebration of 200th year anniversary of the landing of Stamford Raffles. Another ruling party member disclosed that the Prime Minister intends to hinge on the celebration to “bolster” for Singapore’s modern economy, and “remind Singaporeans of the success and prosperity they enjoy today (thanks to the PAP).”
continue reading here :
http://statestimesreview.com/2018/07...id-gst-burden/
Really ??? An early election ???
If words matter, why do they commit blatant flips flops and U-turns?
Published on 2018-07-20 by The Online Citizen
by Augustine Low
In an apparent U-turn, Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will look to negotiate the deferment of the high-speed rail project with Singapore, instead of calling it off altogether.
This is not his first U-turn and it won’t be his last.
The U-turn or flip flop is also something which Singaporeans are accustomed to seeing from our own politicians.
Let’s pick out a few which stick out like a sore thumb.
The U-turn on GST has got to be a classic.
PM Lee Hsien Loong said: “What will make you need to raise GST? Profligate spending and irresponsible, unsustainable plans. That is what will hurt and require you to raise taxes and GST.”
Now, we are told that it is indeed the responsibility of the government to raise GST.
In the words of Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, the GST has to be raised because “it is the most appropriate option” and the government has “to find new sources of revenue.”
For another unmistakable flip flop, let’s turn to PM Lee again who said in Parliament regarding the Oxley Road saga: “If MPs believe that something is wrong, it’s (an) MP’s job to pursue the facts, and make these allegations in their own name, decide whether something seems to be wrong . . . then come to this House, confront the government, ask for explanations and answers.”
But when Workers’ Party MP Sylvia Lim brought up the issue of the government floating “test balloons” on the GST hike, there was a sudden about-turn and she was hammered left, right, centre, accused of being dishonest and asked to apologise to the House.
As it turned out, the NTUC did conduct a poll with members to get feedback on the proposed GST hike. To many, that definitely qualified as the floating of “test balloons” after all.
If there is a prize for the best U-turn, Minister Chan Chun Sing is one prime candidate for it (yes, it’s him again).
He had asserted that the Singapore system is structured such that “no one will be behind.”
Sounds reassuring enough.
continue reading here :
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/201...s-and-u-turns/
Truly how good they use words to their advantage .
oBike users owed deposits can meet liquidators on Aug 2
Published 8 hours ago
Updated 53 min ago
Jose Hong
SINGAPORE - The provisional liquidators of beleaguered bike-sharing firm oBike will hold a meeting next Thursday (Aug 2) at 3pm which will be open to oBike users who have yet to receive a refund of their deposit, among other creditors.
The meeting, by business advisory firm FTI Consulting, will take place at the Shine Auditorium at 100 Beach Road, #03-01 Shaw Tower, said the firm on Monday (July 23).
FTI Consulting will provide an update on oBike’s winding up there, and the relevant details and necessary forms for the creditors’ meeting can be downloaded from
.
According to the firm, oBike owes its roughly 220,000 deposit holders in Singapore almost $9 million. After oBike suddenly ceased operations here last month, company chairman Shi Yi said unreturned deposits amounted to about $6.3 million.
As of July 22, 6,286 deposit holders had submitted their claims online, totalling $287,337.60, said FTI Consulting.
Those who want to attend and vote at the meeting must submit their claims by noon, Aug 1. They can submit their claims through the same website listed above.
However, those who do not attend the meeting can still submit their claims afterwards and will not lose any of their rights.
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NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng wants more companies to voluntarily raise retirement age
“(Older workers) have experience and are valuable assets. Employers should value and re-employ our older workers,” said labour chief Ng Chee Meng.
Published Jul 25, 2018, 3:36 pm SGT
Updated Jul 25, 2018, 6:29 pm
Yuen Sin
SINGAPORE - Labour chief Ng Chee Meng has called on more employers to voluntarily raise the retirement age of their workers beyond the statutory requirement of 62, as he commended Gardens by the Bay for being the latest company to do so.
A raised retirement age will allow older workers to continue working, earn an income and contribute, he said.
Mr Ng was speaking on Wednesday (July 25) at the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding in which Gardens by the Bay, a not-for-profit company, pledged to raise its retirement age to 65 from 2019.
“NTUC fully supports this initiative by the Gardens. It is something that we hope other employers will follow,” said Mr Ng, who is secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).
“(Older workers) have experience and are valuable assets. Employers should value and re-employ our older workers,” he added.
A unionised company under the Attractions, Resorts & Entertainment Union, Gardens by the Bay currently has 20 workers who are above the age of 60.
According to NTUC, about 20 unionised companies have either voluntarily raised their retirement ages, or do not stipulate any retirement age in workers’ employment contracts, which means that they can work for as long as they wish to.
For instance, the Singapore American School, ComfortDelGro Group and Bukit Timah Saddle Club have raised their retirement ages to 67.
Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay does not stipulate any retirement age in workers’ employment contracts.
The statutory retirement age has been fixed at 62 for the past two decades. It was last raised in 1999 from 60 to 62. However, companies must offer re-employment to eligible workers up to age 67. This threshold was raised from 65 to 67 in July last year.
In May, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo announced the formation of a work group that will address older workers’ concerns as Singapore’s workforce ages.
Among other things, it will consider Singapore’s next moves on the retirement and re-employment age, and review the longer-term relevance of these policies.
The work group consists of high-level representatives from the unions, employers and the Government.
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Ng Chee Meng draws flak from Singaporean workers for urging companies to raise the retirement age
By Jewel Stolarchuk -
July 26, 2018
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Ng Chee Meng has drawn flak from Singaporean workers after he urged companies to voluntarily raise the retirement age, yesterday.
Ng, who also serves as secretary-general of the labour movement, lauded Gardens by the Bay for raising the retirement age for its staff above the statutory requirement of 62 and urged other companies to follow the company’s lead.
The statutory retirement age of 62 has been enforced for the past twenty years, after it was raised from 60 to 62 in 1999. Presently, companies have to offer re-employment to eligible workers up to age 67.
Speaking at the Gardens’ signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding in which the Gardens pledged to raise the retirement age from 2019 onwards, Ng said that the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) “fully supports this initiative by the Gardens. It is something that we hope other employers will follow.”
Gardens by the Bay – a non-profit organisation that employs 20 workers above the age of 60 – joins about 20 unionised companies that either raised the retirement age (like the Singapore American School, ComfortDelGro Group and Bukit Timah Saddle Club that raised retirement ages to 67) or do not stipulate any retirement age in employment contracts (like Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay) at all.
Explaining that a higher retirement age will allow older workers to continue earning an income, Ng added: “(Older workers) have experience and are valuable assets. Employers should value and re-employ our older workers.”
Ng further said that NTUC will support the work group that has been convened by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to address the concerns of older workers. Ng pledged that NTUC will work with MOM to develop adjustments to the re-employment terms of older workers, and confirmed that the work group will have its first meeting next week.
Despite Ng’s assurances that his call for companies to raise the retirement age is to allow older workers the ability to earn more income, his remarks have drawn criticism from locals.
Some netizens responding to the Minister’s call have lamented that older people cannot enjoy their retirement if the retirement age is raised, while others said that even if such an initiative is meant to benefit older workers, older workers are usually cast aside because younger or foreign staff typically demand lower salaries.
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